Indira Gandhi National Open University, Regional Centre, Shimla was one of the few Regional Centres established in the year 1989. The Centre was formally established in the month of October, 1989 at Shimla with 8 study centres in Himachal Pradesh,Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab and Chandigarh with an enrolment of around 700 learners. Subsequently (1991), new Regional Centres were established, RC, Shimla has been given the jurisdiction of entire Himachal Pradesh which is now consisting of 30 learner Support Centres (LSCs) with yearly enrolment of 50000 learner (Enrolment status: Year 2022) receiving ODL mode education in the State.

In the ODL system, Regional Centre occupies a central position in the delivery of programmes and act as “resource centre” in the regions. The Regional Centre is established or maintained by the University for the purpose of coordinating and supervising the work of study centres in the region, and as such act as face of the university for all practical purpose. It also performs the role of monitoring and coordinating link between the university and the state institutions.